Cartridge-type lipstick container or the like



J 6, 1967 w. J. LANDEN 3321mm CARTRIDGE-TYPE LIPSTICK CONTAINER OR THE LIKE Filed May 19. 1965 IINVENTOR Mzmmflmaawm United States Patent 0 M 3,323,641 CARTRIDGE-TYPE LIPSTICK CONTAINER OR THE LIKE William James Lander], Cheshire, Conn, assignor to The International Silver Company, Meriden, Comm, a corporation of Connecticut Filed May 19, 1965, Ser. No. 456,955 8 Claims. (El. 206-56) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The invention provides an improved refill cartridge and insert-sleeve construction for use in lipstick containers involving outer decorative casings, the sleeve being permanently assembled into the bore of the base of the outer decorative casing. The particular feature of the invention resides in provision of a snap-locking two-way-acting engagement between a part of the base end of the refill cartridge and a part of the insert sleeve which has key engagement with the base of the cartridge.

My invention relates to an improved lipstick container construction, and in particular to a lipstick of the removable cartridge type wherein the cartridge assembly is received in an outer decorative casing.

It is an object of the invention to provide an improved device of the character indicated.

Another object is to provide a cartridge-type refill-container construction featuring improved locking engagement between the parts when the cartridge is received in the housing.

A further object is to meet the above objects with a device in which adequately positive locking action is assured as long as the parts are assembled, and yet they may be unlocked by simple manipulation.

A still further object is to meet the above objects with a basic insert construction for an outer decorative casing so as to render the cartridge and insert structure universally applicable to a plurality of outer casing configurations, and so as also to inherently receive and secure a plurality of types of refill-cartridge construction.

Other objects and various further features of novelty and invention will be pointed out or will be apparent to those skilled in the art from a reading of the following specification in conjunction with the accompanying drawrn s.

In said drawings, which show, for illustrative purposes only, preferred forms of the invention:

FIG. 1 is a view in elevation of an assembly according to the invention with a cartridge refill received in the base housing member of the outer decorative housing, the closure cap being suggested in phantom outline;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view in perspective showing an insert sleeve construction incorporated into the base housing structure of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a similar perspective view of a refill cartridge adapted to coact with the sleeve of FIG. 2;

FIG. 3A is a view similar to FIG. 3, but showing a fragment, to illustrate a modification; and

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view in elevation, with base housing parts shown in section to reveal coaction of the parts in assembled relation.

Briefly stated, the invention contemplates an improved refill cartridge and insert sleeve construction for use in lipstick containers involving outer decorative casings, the sleeve being permanently assembled into the bore of the base of the outer decorative casing. The particular feature of the invention resides in locking or detent action between a part of the base end of the refill cartridge and a 3,323,641 Patented June 6, 1967 part of the insert sleeve which has key engagement with the base of the cartridge. Detent action and keyed rotary driving engagement are thus effected by the same parts when the refill cartridge is assembled into the base housing member.

Referring to FIG. 1 of the drawings, the invention is shown in application to a cartridge-refill container designated generally 10, removably received within the lower or base half of an outer decorative housing member, designated generally 11. The housing member is shown to be generally cylindrical and to comprise a lower cylindrical end 12 and an upper or reduced cylindrical end 13. A stop formation such as the head 14 separates the two cylindrical portions 12-13, and the entire assembly is closed when desired by placement of the closure cap 15 over the sleeve portion 13 for friction retention, as by nib means 17 adjacent the bead 14. The cartridge refill 10 may be of the type employing two relatively rotatable parts to produce propel-repel action of a lipstick carrier therewithin, and it suflices for present purposes to identify the upper or application end 16, which may be cylindrical, having an opening through which the lipstick is selectively projected, and in addition, to identify a lower or base operating end 18 received and concealed within the base housing member 12.

When the closure cap 15 is removed and with the parts then as shown in solid outline in FIG. 1, the lipstick within the cartridge 10 is projected and retracted in accordance with relative rotation of the exposed cartridge part 16 and the base housing member 12. This is done by means of a keyed engagement between the base end 18 of the cartridge and suitable formations within the bore of the base housing member 12. These formations characterize the profile of the inner edge of a radially inwardly directed flange 19 (see FIGS. 2 and 4) carried by and forming part of the base housing member 12. In the form shown, the keyed engagement involves a. circumferentially spaced plurality of elongated noncircular formations or flats 18' on the cartridge base 18, and a corresponding plurality of straight edges or short flats 19' (see FIG. 2) on the radially inward flange 19.

In accordance with the invention, an inserted refill cartridge is retained within the base housing member 12 by detent action until it is desired to remove and replace the cartridge. This is achieved by relying primarily on local resilient deformation of the flange 19 as it interferes with a detent member or bump 20 formed on one of the noncircular formations 18 at the base of the refill cartridge. When detent action has taken place as illustrated in FIG. 4, the detent 20 holds flange 19 snugly against a locating bead 21 forming part of the cartridge base and in an axial position adjacent or in axial clearance relation with the bottom 22 of the outer decorative housing 12. In FIG. 3, the detent 26 is elongated transverse to the cartridge axis, and in FIG. 3A detent 20' is a circular bump; the actual selected profile at 20-20 will depend on radial clearance at 19-20 (or 19-20) and on the relative radial compliance of the materials employed. In both situations, the detent action may be described as two-way acting and as snap-locking.

In accordance with a further feature of the invention, the flange 19 is of relatively short radial extent and is integrally formed with an insert sleeve as shown in FIG. 2. The design of the sleeve of FIG. 2 is such that it lends itself to universal assembly to a wide variety of decorative base housing member 12, depending upon the aesthetic requirements of the customer. The sleeve of FIG. 2 as contained within the bore of the base housing member 12 comprises essentially two tubular portions. The axially outer one of these tubular portions 23 is dimensioned preferably for pressfit assembly to the bore of the housing member 12, and a slightly reduced inner tubular portion 24 is designed for radial clearance with the bore of the base housing member 12, such clearance being shown at in FIG. 4. In essence, the sleeve of FIG. 2 is a cup member pierced at the bottom with the non-circular formations 19' to define the flange having keyed engagement with the similarly contoured base 18 of the cartridge.

It is convenient to additionally provide the sleeve of FIG. 2 with a circumferential radially outwardly extending formation 14 (herein called a head) which can serve as a stop to locate against the open end of the base housing member 12, and in so doing to appropriately position the flange 19 in axially spaced relation with the bottom 22 of housing member 12. It is also convenient to form the sleeve of FIG. 2 with the cylindrical cap-engaging portion 13 already described.

It :will be seen that I have described mechanism of elemental simplicity and universally lending itself to a wide variety of ultimate configurations and employments. Not only is the insert-sleeve construction of the invention adaptable to any decorative requirement of the customer, but decorative housings employing the sleeve of FIG. 2 lend themselves to reception and retention of refill cartridges as described in connection with FIG. 3, and also to reception of other types of refill cartridges as described, for example, in US. Patent No. 2,838,170, in which detent or latch engagement with the head 14 is relied upon to secure the cartridge in place. The particular advantage of the detent arrangement of the present invention is that the same parts serve both for rotary driving and for axial retention, and it is not necessary to pierce or otherwise weaken or mar the appearance of any part of the total structure.

While I have described the invention in detail in connection with the preferred forms illustrated, it will be understood that modifications may be made within the scope of the invention as defined in the claims which follow.

I claim:

1. In combination, a lipstick or the like container cartridge having two relatively rotatable parts and including propulsion mechanism for propelling lipstick with respect to an application end, said cartridge having an actuating member at an opposed base end, and a cup-shaped housing member having an opening removably receiving the base end of said cartridge, said cup-shaped housing member including an inte-rnal radially inwardly directed flange member located axially short of the closed end of said housing member, and said base end having key engagement with said flange member when received therein, so that rotation of said housing member with respect to an exposed portion of the other rotatable part of said cartridge may effect lipstick propulsion, and two-wayacting snap-lock detent means carried by said base end at the keyed portion thereof and having detent engagement with said flange member just prior to full insertion of said base end into said cup-shaped housing member, whereby said cartridge is removably insertable in said housing member but is nevertheless normally held against accidental dislodgement therefrom.

2. In combination, a lipstick or the like container cartridge having a base end and an applicator end for exposing lipstick or the like to be applied, a cup-shaped housing member having an opening removably receiving the base end of said cartridge, said cup-shaped housing member including outer decorative cup and an insert sleeve supported by the bore of said cup near the open end thereof, said sleeve including an integral radially inwardly directed flange located axially short of the closed end of said housing member, and said base end having key engagement with said flange member when received therein, and two-way-acting snap-lock detent means carried by said base end at the keyed portion thereof and having detent engagement with said flange just prior to full insertion of said base and into said cup-shaped housing member, whereby said cartridge is removably insertable in said housing member but is nevertheless normally held against accidental dislodgement therefrom.

3. The combination of claim 2, in which said sleeve comprises an axially outer tubular portion in secured relation with the bore of said cup, and an axially inner tubular portion in radial clearance relation with the bore of said cup, said flange being a part of said axially inner tubular portion, whereby said radial clearance is available to permit local resilient radial deformation of said sleeve upon detent engagement. 4. The combination of claim 3, in which said sleeve includes a radially extending bead contiguous to the outer end of said axially outer tubular portion, whereby said bead interferes with the open end of said cup upon insertion of said sleeve in said cup, for accurate axial location of said flange with respect to the bottom of said cup.

5. In combination, a rotary lipstick or the like container cartridge having a base operating end and an applicator end for exposing the lipstick or the like to be applied, said ends being rotatable with respect to each other to propel and repel lipstick or the like at said applicator end, a cupshaped housing member for removably receiving the base end of said cartridge, said housing member comprising an elongated decorative outer cup with a bore open at one end and an elongated sleeve open at both ends and having at the lower end a radially inward flange, said sleeve near the location of said flange being in radial-clearance relation with the bore of said cup and said sleeve near the open end of the bore of said cup being in tight radially supported relation with the bore of said cup, said sleeve further including a circumferentially radially outwardly extending bead adjacent the open end of said cup, whereby said flange may be axially positioned in spaced relation with the bottom of said cup, said sleeve further including adjacent said bead a tubular portion adapted to receive a closure cap for said housing member, the base end of said cartridge and said flange having key engagement upon insertion of said cartridge in said housing member, and two-way-acting snap-lock detent means carried by said base end at the keyed portion thereof, and having detent engagement with said flange just prior to full insertion of said base end into said cup-shaped housing member, whereby said cartridge is removably insertable in said housing member but is nevertheless normally held against accidental dislodgement therefrom.

6. The combination of claim 5, in which said key engagement is characterized by a circumferentially spaced plurality of like non-circular key formations on said base end, said key formations being elongated for substantially the exposed axial length of said base end, said detent comprising a local radially outward enlargement at one longitudinal location along the length of one of said noncircular formations.

7. The combination of claim 6, in which said sleeve is a cup member with the non-circular key formations characterizing an opening in the base of the cup member.

8. The combination of claim 6, in which said noncircular key formations are flats.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,520,933 9/1950 Houlihan 206-56 2,858,937 11/1958 Hoffman 206-56 3,021,946 2/1962 Harris 206-56 3,146,881 9/1964 Metreaud et al 296-56 3,162,304 12/1964 Bau 206-56 THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner.

MARTHA L. RICE, Examiner. 

1. IN COMBINATION, A LIPSTICK OR THE LIKE CONTAINER CARTRIDGE HAVING TWO RELATIVELY ROTATABLE PARTS AND INCLUDING PROPULSION MECHANISM FOR PROPELLING LIPSTICK WITH RESPECT TO AN APPLICATION END, SAID CARTRIDGE HAVING AN ACTUATING MEMBER AT AN OPPOSED BASE END, AND A CUP-SHAPED HOUSING MEMBER HAVING AN OPENING REMOVABLY RECEIVING THE BASE END OF SAID CARTRIDGE, SAID CUP-SHAPED HOUSING MEMBER INCLUDING AN INTERNAL RADIALLY INWARDLY DIRECTED FLANGE MEMBER LOCATED AXIALLY SHORT OF THE CLOSED END OF SAID HOUSING MEMBER, AND SAID BASE END HAVING KEY ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID FLANGE MEMBER WHEN RECEIVED THEREIN, SO THAT ROTATION OF SAID HOUSING MEMBER WITH RESPECT TO AN EXPOSED PORTION OF THE OTHER ROTATABLE PART OF SAID CARTRIDGE MAY EFFECT LIPSTICK PROPULSION, AND TWO-WAYACTING SNAP-LOCK DETENT MEANS CARRIED BY SAID BASE END AT THE KEYED PORTION THEREOF AND HAVING DETENT ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID FLANGE MEMBER JUST PRIOR TO FULL INSERTION OF SAID BASE END INTO SAID CUP-SHAPED HOUSING MEMBER, WHEREBY SAID CARTRIDGE IS REMOVABLY INSERTABLE IN SAID HOUSING MEMBER BUT IS NEVERTHELESS NORMALLY HELD AGAINST ACCIDENTAL DISLODGEMENT THEREFROM. 